Building careers in the community

Sharon Thomas from Bowlee Park Housing with year 8 pupils from St Anne’s Academy.

Students from St Anne’s Academy, Middleton, gained an unusual insight into the construction industry when they learnt about the role of the community in new building developments, at a workshop led by staff from Bowlee Park Housing.

The workshop was part of a day seminar organised by Education Business Solutions introducing the Construction and Built Environment Diploma to Year 8 students and also linked to their current studies in technology, geography and engineering.

Social landlord, Bowlee Park Housing, were in prime position to share their experiences of involving residents in construction, as tenants and residents in Langley have been involved in the design and planning of the £37 million regeneration of the estate since the start.

Sharon Thomas, community initiatives team leader for Bowlee Park Housing, said: “The workshop was a real eye-opener for the students. They discovered many human angles to architecture and design that they hadn’t thought about before. Housing isn’t just about physical buildings, but about people and the way they live once the buildings are finished.

"We’ve had many opportunities to strengthen our relationship with the community and engaging the young people in discussion was an eye-opener for me as well.”

The year 8 students entered the world of housing as Sharon gave them insight into a day in the life of the community initiatives team and after a lively discussion about community life, they used their new found knowledge to design fictional posters inviting residents to plan new homes.

The construction workshop is one way Bowlee Park Housing are opening career opportunities for young people and helping more people to find jobs. This year Bowlee Park Housing are working in partnership with Groundwork who provide training back to work schemes. They are holding a coffee morning Friday 23 January 10.30am-12.30pm at the Tenants Resource Centre, Lingmell Close, Langley, for anybody who wants to find out more.